CHARLES H. BAHLMAN

CHARLES BAHLMAN

Age: 53 years, 3 days

CHARLES H. BAHLMANN

DOB: March 5, 1872
Eagle Lake, Will County, IL, USA

DOD: March 8, 1925
Beecher, Will County,  IL, USA

 

Hans Heinrich Christoph (Henry) & Dorothea (Harste) Bahlman resizedSon of Hans Heinrich Christoph “Henry” and Dorothea (nee Harste) Bahlman

Bahlmann Family Coat of Arms

Bahlmann Family Coat of Arms

 

Brother to: Henry F. (Emma Wehmhoefer), Mary (John Herman) Lena Bahlman, Johann H. (Anna L. Wehrmann), William F. (Ora M. Robinson)

Husband of Ellen Wilkening, married in 1895. She died only one short year after their marriage.

Husband of Wilhelmine Marie “Minnie” Schweer, married in 1898.

Father of: Baby Son & Dorothy Marie Bahlman (Herbert C. Saller)


BEECHER HERALD – OCTOBER 18, 1907

BAHLMAN IS BLAMED

His Friends Have Dubbed Him a Hoodoo at Fishing

Bahlmann is to Blame 10-18-1907In mentioning the Deneke-Wegert fishing expedition, last week, we little thought of doing anyone an injustice, but it seems that such is the case. It seems there was a third party in the company, Charles Bahlman having been taken along, so the other two say, to carry the poles, dig the worms and take the mud turtles off the hooks. Now the aforesaid gentlemen also allege that Mr. Bahlman proved to be a hoodoo, and that accounted for their ill luck in not catching any fish.

In Justice to Mr. Bahlman, we will state that we have since learned that there were two fish caught that day – one sucker and one bull head and that Mr. Bahlman landed both of them. So there.


BEECHER HERALD – August 25, 1921

BEECHER HAS NEW OIL STATION

Charles H. Bahlman Embarks In The Oil Business Here

Will Handle The Complete Line Of The Popular Sinclair Products

Sinclair oil productsBeecher has another oil station, Charles H. Bahlman being the new owner and dealer.

Mr. Bahlman has completed his new oil station, north of the creamery and west of his home on Miller Street. The new station consists of a large building which will accommodate two trucks and is equipped with an electric pump. Besides it has ample storage room for oils in barrels and other containers. The station includes an 18,000 gallon gasoline tank and a kerosene tank with a capacity of 12,900 gallons.

SinclairThe celebrated Sinclair brand of oils will be handled by Mr. Bahlman, including gasoline, kerosene, motor oils and greases. This brand of oils is said to be the best on the market and creates a demand wherever they are offered for sale. A motor tank has already been put in service and Mr. Bahlman has been kept busy the past week, since the opening of business.

The construction of this station has meant a considerable outlay of money by Mr. Bahlman, but he has confidence that the people of Beecher and surrounding territory will give him a fair share of the trade. Mr. Bahlman, being a Beecher man, owning his permanent home here and expending a large sum of money to embark in business, the people of the community everything being equal should show preference by patronizing him, and we believe that the users of oil products will show their loyalty to local industry with a liberal patronage.

Success to you, Charlie!


  BEECHER HERALD MARCH 19, 1925

OBITUARY

——————

CHARLES H. BAHLMAN

This is only the first page of Charles obituary, it continued the entire length of the first page and then continued on yet another page inside the newspaper

This is only the first half of the first page of Charles’ obituary; it covered the entire length of the first page and then continued on yet another page inside the newspaper.

A very sad and quite generally lamented death occurred in our village last Sunday, March 8th, at ten o’clock in the evening, when one of our respected and honored citizens, the congenial Charles H. Bahlman suddenly answered the commons. His death came so unaware that it greatly shocked our entire community and that his wife, who was at home alone with him when he expired had no time to realize what was happening until it was all over with. The only warning she had came in the short sentence: “Minnie I am again losing my hearing.” The words had hardly come over his lips when he stretched out and was dead. In the twinkle of an eye, a stroke had ended his temporal life.

His death has deeply impressed all of us with a keener realization of the fact that life, after all, is a very peculiar and fleeting thing.  One minute it may dwell within the confines of its mortal habitation with all the vigor of manhood and the next moment it may have taken flight in the unexplored realms of eternity.

Mr. Bahlman apparently was in his usual good health and spirits all day Sunday. In the early morning hours he delivered a truck load of gasoline to one of his customers in Chicago Heights. In the afternoon he sought recreations in an automobile ride with his wife to Kankakee. When they returned towards evening, he ate a hearty supper and enjoyed the comforts of what in reality was “home, sweet home” to him. He discussed business, chatted with friends and family, made plans and preparations for activities of the following day, retired at a conventional hour and all of a sudden something snapped, the threads of life were severed and he was paled in death.

While we mourn his untimely and sudden demise, we find great comfort in the hope that He did not find him unprepared. He was diligent in use of the means of grace. He was quite regular in his attendance at divine worship, he participated freely of the Lord’s Supper, and was a guest at the Lord’s Table even the last time it was observed in our church. We have no reason to doubt that he has washed his robe in the blood of the Lamb of God, that he found refuge in the meritorious sufferings and death of the Savior, and that the gracious Lord dealt with him according to his promise: “Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” We also take heart in the great admonition of his sudden death and pray in the words of the sainted poet: “Who knows how near my end may be? Time speeds away and death comes on: How swiftly, ah! how suddenly. May death be here and life be gone! My God, for Jesus sake I pray thy peace may bless my dying day.”

Charles H. Bahlman was born at Eagle Lake, Illinois on March 5th, 1872. In early childhood he was baptized by the Rev. Nuoffer and later on, confirmed by Rev. C. Brauer. At the age of twenty-three he was married to Miss Ellen Wilkening, who in spite of the tender care of a loving young husband, fell a victim of the ravages of tuberculosis after a brief year of married life. Two years later, in his twenty-sixth year, he was wedded to his second wife, Miss Wilhelmine Marie Schweer, who survives to mourn his death. Their union was blessed with two children, the oldest of whom, a son, was a still-born. The deceased lived in the vicinity of Beecher all his life-time and was busy in several occupations before he entered his last business relations with the Sinclair Oil Company. Two years ago, he, together with his beloved wife, was privileged to celebrate his twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. His family life throughout these many years was an exceptionally happy one, and his genial disposition and staunch uprightness brought him a large circle of friends. In church circles he was known as a man who had the welfare of his church at heart. In matters temporal, the Lord prospered him to the extent of a good plenty for the wants of himself and his family. Besides this, he was always known as a man who stood ready to help those less fortunate. He was also privileged to enjoy good health throughout his days and scarcely ever was incapacitated because of illness.

Some weeks ago he received a warning of death when he was overcome by gas-fumes Selling Silclair oil productsfrom his truck. He never recovered entirely from this poisoning. His memory as well as his hearing remained noticeably defective. His end however came without a warning last Sunday evening, March 8th at 10 o’clock. He reached the age of 53 years and 3 days.

His death is mourned by his sorrowing widow and by his living child, Dorothy Marie; three brothers: John, Henry and William; two sisters: Mrs. John Herman and Miss Lena Bahlman; four brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law.

The funeral was conducted on Thursday March 12th from Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, and was one of the largest funerals ever held in Beecher. Rev. W.H.L. Schuetz, his pastor, spoke both in German and English. The text in the German sermon was Job 1, 21 and the English sermon was based on Proverbs 27, 1. Rev. C. Brauer, who confirmed the deceased and his two wives, who also performed both marriage ceremonies, spoke briefly towards the close of the service. Mrs. V.J. Schulz sang a solo, “I Shall Be Satisfied.” At the house, and at the church the choir sang “When I Departed Make” (in German), and “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling.”

Mr. Bahlman was laid to rest in the mausoleum.

Mr. Bahlman was a member of the Lutheran Church and was widely known in the community where he spent his entire life.


Title of Book, Publisher Unknown, Published between 1928-1931

“HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY”

Pages 970-971

Charles Bahlman, deceased, was a highly esteemed citizen of Beecher. He was born on a farm in Washington Township, Will County, March 5, 1872, the son of Henry and Dorothy (Horste) (correct spelling Harste )Bahlman.

Henry Bahlman was among the first settlers of Eagle Lake in Washington Township, where he improved a farm of 300 acres, now owned by Mr. Hibbing. There were six children in the Bahlman family, of whom Charles, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest.

Bahlman, Charles, Cremery

Corner of Hodges and Reed Streets – The creamery is on the left, H.F. Thielman’s brick home, now the Hack Funeral Home, in the center, and the original frame school house at the far right. Pipes for the water mains lay at the corners.

Charles Bahlman grew up on his father’s farm and attended the district schools of Washington Township. For a time he conducted a creamery business at Goodenow (correction: Eagle Lake & Beecher) and later was a well contractor in Will County. He owned and operated a café business at Beecher for some time and in Sinclair truck1921 became interested in the oil and gas business at Beecher. He was thus engaged at the time of his death in 1925. The business is still carried on by the widow of Mr. Bahlman. It is the local agent for the Sinclair Oil Company and distributes to Monee, Peotone, and Chicago Heights. Three automobile trucks distribute the products of this well established business.

On July 31, 1896, Mr. Bahlman was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Schweer, of Washington Township, the daughter of Conrad and Mary (Wille) Schweer, natives of Germany. Mr. Schweer came to the United States early in life and purchased a farm of 120 acres in Washington Township, Will County. He died in 1907 and his wife died in 1909. Both are buried in Eagle Lake Cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Bahlman were born two children: a boy died in infancy; and Dorothy, the wife of Herbert Saller, lives at Crete, where Mr. Saller is engaged in the coal business. Mr. and Mrs. Saller were married on Dec. 17, 1925, in Chicago. They have had two children: Charlene, born Nov. 6, 1926; and a son who died in infancy in January, 1928.

Editor’s notes: The information below is from the Beecher Sesquicentennial Book. The Beecher Creamery Company was first located in the same building, with additions on the north side. Charles Bahlman began buying milk from the farmers who delivered it by horse and wagon, or in winter, by sleds. It was iced and stacked on hand trucks, then pulled across Reed Street and loaded in the baggage car of the forenoon north-bound passenger train. The milk went to the Englewood Dairy on Chicago’s south side.

The Beecher Creamery announced that it was adding a buttermaking department in 1915 with George Hoppensteadt from the Eagle Lake Creamery in charge. He had won top honors for his butter at the State Fair the previous year. A $12,000 condensing plant, enabling the company to store surplus milk, was installed in June 1918.


Charles’ family members also resting in the mausoleum are:
Wife: Minnie Schweer Bahlman
Daughter & Son-in-law: Dorothy Bahlman Saller & Herbert C. Saller
Grandson: Baby Son Saller
Granddaughter & Grand Son-in-law: Charlene Saller Graham & Arthur Graham
Great Granddaughter: Nancy Graham Fenske
Brother & Sister-in-law: Henry F. Bahlman & Emma Wehmhoefer Bahlman
Sister: Lena Bahlman
Brother & Sister-in-law: John H. Bahlmann & Anna L. Wehrmann Bahlmann
Brother: William F. Bahlmann
Niece & Nephew-in-law: Lillian Bahlman Wegert & Henry H. Wegert
Niece & Nephew-in-law: Lora Bahlman Hinze & Arthur Hinze
Nephew & Niece-in-law: Henry W. Bahlman & Marguerite Toleson Bahlman
Nephew: Donald W. Bahlman
Niece & Nephew-in-law: Ferne Bahlman Hildeman & William R. Hildeman

(Note: Some family members maintained the original spelling of Bahlmann while others omitted the last “n”)